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Donna seriously couldn't believe what she was seeing. She looked between the two Danni's, her mouth open slightly as Martha did a bit of the same, although slightly more composed but then again she'd probably been trained in expecting the completely unexpected. The Doctor was also staring, but his face held it's usual angry confusion, as if he couldn't believe the audacity of the situation to take a turn he hadn't thought possible. Danni, her Danni... Well, the old Danni at any rate, was shrinking away from her future counterpart.
"Doctor..." She breathed uncomfortably, "What's happening?" She reached behind her but the Time Lord didn't take her hand, instead stepped forward and slightly in front of her.
"Who are you?" He asked lowly and the new Danni rolled her eyes.
"There's no need to be so dramatic." She sighed, "I'm her future self." She motioned to Danni.
"And we know that how?" She held out her finger in a point and the Doctor flinched slightly, expecting her to have a weapon.
"Oh calm down." She snapped before turning to herself, smiling gently at her younger self, "Just touch my finger, like the sonic screwdrivers at the Big Bang, yeah?" Danni frowned, looking up and down the duplicate before slowly placing her fingertip on the other one. A small spark flew between them, stinging slightly and she snatched her hand back.
"Temperal feedback." Now-Danni confirmed, "You are me."
"Of course I'm you. A good couple of years on you, judging by the look of you." She turned to the Doctor, hands on her hips, "Have you not been feeding me, Spaceman? I mean, I look ill." Donna could understand that. Compared to her future self the current Danni looked almost anorexic.
"If you actually Danni, you'd know why." He bit out and she rolled her eyes slightly.
"Of course I know why." She replied, "Trying to lighten the mood here. My Lord, I forget how emo you are." Now-Danni giggled slightly and Future-Danni shot her a grin, "See, she gets it."
"Well, I always did have a good sense of humour." Now-Danni agreed, "Where have you just come from?"
"Oh, I've just met Charles Dickens." She explained, "What a flirt, but now's not the time for that."
"Dickens?" The Doctor asked despite his wariness of the new version of his friend, "That's when we first met." Future-Danni blushed slightly.
"Yeah, well, we don't have time for that. Listen." She paused and there was a loud crash before three young army men with guns ran at them.
"Don't move, stay where you are! Drop your weapons." One shouted and they all shot their arms in the air.
"We're not armed! Look, no weapons. Never any weapons. We're safe." The Doctor exclaimed as the others nodded encouragingly.
"Look at their hands. They're clean." The one of the other soldiers said to the first, "And they're twins." He pointed between the two Danni's, "I don't think we've had twins in about 20 generations." His friend nodded, the girl's were unique for all the duplicity.
"All right, process them! Him first." He motioned to the Doctor. The other two grabbed him, much to his protest and dragged him to a machine at the other end, shoving his arm in it. It made a huge whirring noise as they all protested except the new Danni. Another piece of machinery opened and a young blonde woman stepped out. Jenny was born.
~0~0~0~
They had been ambushed by a race called the Hath, who were apparently at war with the humans they'd come across. After being shown to be against the war, the General had decided they were a threat to their procurement of 'The Source'.
"Lock them up, and guard them." The General declared as they were held at gunpoint by the solider who had taken them to the war room. The Doctor pulled Danni, the current one up against him much to Future-Danni's annoyance, the moment he'd lifted the gun. She had been standing much too close to it's point and he was sick of people pointing guns at her.
"What about the new soldier?" The solider asked, motioning to her with his gun and Jenny stepped forward, looking up at her general expectantly.
"Can't trust her, she's from pacifist stock." He declared and Jenny's face fell in confusion. He pushed her against Donna, who wrapped her arms protectively around the girl, "Take them all!" They were all promptly marched at gunpoint towards the prison cells.
"Have you noticed," Future-Danni started, "That no matter where we jump, somehow we're always locked up?"
"That's not true." The Doctor protested, his arm still around her younger counterpart. Now-Danni nodded slowly, a thoughtful frown on her face.
"She... I have a point." She muttered, "When I first landed I was hung from the ceiling by the Racnoss. Then there was dissected by the Silurians."
"Taken into a spaceship by that collector guy." Future-Danni added.
"When was that?" The Doctor exclaimed as they were pushed into the cell, the door slammed shut behind them.
"I've had my face sucked off." Now-Danni continued.
"And trapped in a light-cell." Future-Danni added and Now-Danni turned to her, a smile on her face.
"Do you remember when he took us to see the Shining Star of Garmayus?" She asked timidly and Future-Danni nodded.
"And we got stuck in the quicksand on the beach." She replied.
"That was an accident!" The Doctor exclaimed, "And I got you out." Both Danni's turned to him in unison and Donna had to smother her laugh as Jenny looked on in confusion.
"I lost my favourite shoes!" They both exclaimed at the same time before looking at each other again. The anger the Doctor felt at being blamed fell away when he saw Now-Danni's face light up at the simultaneous speaking; it had really cheered her up, he could tell.
"Has he taken us to Solas a Aois yet?" Future-Danni asked. Now-Danni shook her head.
"No, not yet." Future-Danni grinned.
"Oh you'll love that. They have pine tree flavoured ice cream."
"Ice cream that tastes like Christmas trees?" Jenny turned to Donna as the two started swapping stories.
"Who are they? Are they from the same genetic sample?" Donna shook her head.
"No, they're the same person. One's from her future and one's from the now, I think." The Doctor nodded.
"Two moments in time crashing together." He muttered, sitting down on the small bench in the cell, "There was always a chance it could happen, I just... I never expected it." He watched the two girls and couldn't help see the differences. The future version was talking animatedly, with gestures and a big grin on her face just like she was before the drumming had infected her. He still saw her that way, the Danni on the Ood Sphere had been absolutely fine, but he knew that this Danni was still jumping around, that there was a time she wasn't absolutely fine and he hated it. Because she was his friend. Yes, that's it. His best friend, but a friend nonetheless.
Donna looked around, feeling like she was watching a very intimate reunion of sorts and spotted a metal plaque above the door, the numbers '60120716' carved into it. There was one similar before in the main war room.
"More numbers. They've gotta mean something." Donna muttered.
"Makes as much sense as the breath of life story." The Doctor replied with a sigh, glad they'd given him another topic to focus on.
"You mean that's not true?" Jenny exclaimed.
"No, it's a myth." Donna told her gently, sitting next to the Doctor on the bench, "Isn't it, Doctor?"
"Yes, but there could still be something real in that temple, something that's become a myth. A piece of technology, a weapon." He mused darkly, yet another weapon to destroy yet another planet.
"So the Source could be a weapon and we've just given directions to Captain Nutjob?" Donna pointed out and he nodded, sitting up straight.
"Oh, yes." He groaned.
"Not good, is it?"
"That's why we need to get out of here, find Martha and stop Cobb from slaughtering the Hath." The Doctor explained and Future-Danni turned from her conversation with herself. She'd never realised how... ill she'd become. The drumming was almost physically draining her, she was so pale and the beating was shining out behind her eyes, obviously still on the surface, tapping away. What she wouldn't give to hear it again, but she knew what happened when she did.
"What are you staring at?" He asked her.
"You're so obsessed with weapons." She pointed out, "Why does it have to be something bad?"
"The planet's at war and they want to use it to wipe out the Hath. Sounds like a weapon to me." He replied and she walked over and sat next to him.
"You just said yourself, the meanings been lost. They've took it to mean a weapon, doesn't mean you have to as well." She smirked, "You're not setting a good example to your daughter, are you?"
"She's not my..." He stuttered, "She's just a solider." Future-Danni turned to look at Donna, the pair sharing a knowing look. The more he denied it, the more they knew he was thinking of the new girl like that.
"You keep insisting you're not a soldier. But look at you!" Jenny exclaimed happily, "Drawing up strategies like a proper general."
"No no, I'm trying to stop the fighting." He insisted.
"Isn't every soldier?" Jenny retorted, leaving the Doctor looking a bit speechless and Donna and Future-Danni looking very impressed.
"Oh, she's good." Future-Danni said and Jenny straightened, her smile growing at the compliment.
"Well. I suppose. But that's… that's… technically... I haven't got time for this! Donna, give me your phone! Time for an upgrade!" Donna frowned and pulled out her phone, handing it to him and he soniced it, calling Martha across the planet.
Now-Danni watched from the sides, wrapping her arms tightly around her with an angry frown. Look at her, sat their next to her friend, her Doctor and she was being ignored because of it. Why did she have to turn up now, anyway? Couldn't she just stay on her own time line and leave her alone? She was happy and healthy, it was so unfair. Maybe she wasn't from the future, how could she be when the noise in her head was slowly killing her? She shouldn't even exist, she couldn't imagine a time when she would be free of the noise, let alone a time when she would enjoy it. That thought made her pause, would she miss the drumming if it ever did go away? They were stopping her eating, causing her to miss days of sleep until she passed out from sheer exhaustion. They were making her physically ill, and oh so paranoid, she pondered as she glared at her future self stealing the phone out of the Doctor's hand to talk to Martha while she had the chance. Her hand stayed clasped to his for a moment too long, in her opinion, it was obvious she was trying to steal him off her, well, she had news for the red-headed tart, the Doctor was hers.
She blinked, letting her grip on herself relax. That was her, they were the same person, how could she possibly be suspicious of herself? The only person she had to watch out for was River, and the Doctor had repeatedly promised that wasn't going to happen, and she had to hold onto that. It was that noise again, making her unnecessarily angry. And hurt herself, she thought as she rubbed the top of her arms, there'd be bruising there again. Miss the drumming, how could she have even thought that?
~0~0~0~
Chanting echoed through to the cell, cheers from the soldiers as they prepared to go to battle with the Hath and the Doctor jumped up, knowing that they had to act and they had to act now.
"They're getting ready to move out. We have to get past that guard." Jenny stepped forward, determined.
"I can deal with him." She stated determinedly but the Doctor shook his head, placing a hand out to stop her in his tracks.
"No no no no. You're not going anywhere." He told her firmly and she looked up at him, surprised.
"What?" She asked.
"You belong here, with them." He almost snarled and Donna stepped closer to her, placing a hand on her arm.
"She belongs with us. With you. She's your daughter!" She insisted. The Doctor turned to Donna, refusing to look at Jenny.
"She's a soldier. She came out of that machine!" He insisted angrily.
"Oh yes, I know that bit! Listen, have you got that stethoscope? Give it to me. Come on!" He reluctantly pulled it out of his never-ending pockets, handing it to her. She stepped towards Jenny, who looked at the stethoscope warily.
"What're you doing?" She asked.
"It's all right." Donna reassured her, placing the chest piece against her t-shirt, "Just hold still." She listened to the heart beating on one side of her chest, before moving it across and smiling to herself. Gotcha, "Come here. Listen." She commanded the Doctor, who had been watching and refusing to let himself believe what she'd heard was true, "And then tell me where she belongs." He took it off her and listened to the two hearts beating, not really sure if he was happy about it or not. He stepped away, pocketing the device and leaning against the wall, ashamed that he was glad.
"Two hearts." He murmured and Donna nodded.
"Exactly."
"What's going on?" Jenny asked, looking between the two, confused and a little bit scared. She had no idea what they were talking about, and she didn't like it.
"Does that mean she's a...? What do you call a female Time Lord?" Donna asked him and Jenny turned to the Doctor.
"What's a Time Lord?" She asked him.
"It's who I am. It's where I'm from." He muttered lowly, looking away from everyone. He couldn't let himself hope, it wasn't fair. It always hurt him in the end.
"And I'm from you." She pointed out and he shook his head slowly.
"You're an echo, that's all. A Time Lord is so much more. A sum of knowledge. A code. A shared history. A shared suffering." He snarled, pausing to let himself calm down, "Only it's gone now. All of it. Gone forever." Now-Danni, heart aching for him, walked over and took his hands, making him look down at her. His face was so sad, yet so resigned. He truly didn't want to let himself hope.
"It's all right." She whispered gently, "She doesn't know, but maybe you could tell her. Teach her about the Time Lords, what they were and what they became. She could start again and not make them mistakes. She can be better than that."
"What happened?" Jenny asked, looking between the two. Something devastating had happened and Danni, whichever one it was, was trying to comfort him but she hadn't been there. The Doctor looked at Danni and she nodded encouragingly.
"There was a war."
"Like this one?" The Doctor shook his head, laughing humourlessly at the comparison, his mind flashing over his memories of the Time War.
"Bigger. Much bigger."
"And you fought? And killed?" His head barely moved as he nodded, the pain still as raw as it had been the moment the war had ended.
"Yes." He whispered.
"Then how are we different?" He looked into Jenny's eyes, so full of hope and sparkling. So much like the young Time Lords he had met over the years, the ones who thought they could make a difference just to be shot down before their time. They were his eyes.
"Because you haven't yet." Future-Danni interjected, walking over and standing on the other side of him, "He doesn't want that for you. Nobody likes to see people suffer like that."
"But why?" Jenny asked, "You don't even know me, how is that to your advantage?" Both Danni's smiled; so inquisitive, just like her dad.
"Because," Now-Danni said, "Quite frankly, he's old." The Doctor looked down at her, shocked and a little offended, "Like really, really old. And very tired of all the fighting. And when you're that tired,"
"And very, very old." Future-Danni continued, smiling at her younger self. She knew where this was going.
"And the very last of your kind." Now-Danni grinned, she'd apologise to Amy the next time she saw her. Or not, she didn't have to know, did she?
"It doesn't make you hardened, or bitter."
"It just makes you kind." They both said together. The Doctor stared down at them in awe as Jenny watched them, drinking up every word. He'd never thought of himself as kind, not after what he had done and how many lives he had destroyed, but she did. She knew more about him than anyone he'd ever met, she knew exactly what he had done and he just couldn't believe that she thought like that. Now-Danni walked over to the girl, letting go of his hands to grab one of Jenny's.
"It isn't the fact that you're a solider that makes him mad." She explained gently. Future-Danni took hold of her other one.
"It's the fact that they want you to be, and he wants better for you." They both looked over their shoulders, grinning that cheeky grin, tongue behind their teeth and all he could do is stare.
"Even if he's a stubborn arse and won't admit it." Now-Danni added and he laughed out of pure delight, the joy radiating off her. At that moment, he couldn't tell the difference between the two.
"So, are we going to let Jenny use her womanly wiles on the guard?" Future-Danni asked. The Doctor nodded.
"All right, fine!"
~0~0~0~
Jenny broke them out, well, of course she did. Now-Danni kept close to the Doctor as they headed through the tunnels, not wanting to let her older self too near him, though even she knew she was being preposterous. Being jealous of yourself, that had to be new situation for the universe. Future-Danni, however, didn't seem to have noticed, too impressed with Jenny and Donna to care. The Doctor located a latch to a hidden tunnel behind one of the walls and tried to activate the opening mechanism.
"And Time Lords, what are they for exactly?" Jenny had been asking questions ever since they'd left the cell. He'd been answering them off-handedly but this one threw him completely.
"'For'? They're not... They're not 'for' anything." He replied, sonicing a large metal thing attached to the wall.
"So what do you do?" She tried. She had been created to fight, as far as she was concerned everything had to have a purpose.
"I travel. Through time and space." He replied vaguely.
"He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures. And runs a lot. Seriously, there's an outrageous amount of running involved." Donna explained with a frown and Future-Danni nodded.
"It never changes. 300 years into his future and he doesn't stop." She told Donna.
"I like the running." Now-Danni reacted automatically and even the Doctor stopped to stare at her, bewildered. She complained about the running more than any of his companions ever had done. She blushed a deep red, "I don't know why I said that." Future-Danni held her hand up.
"I do!" She cried, much like the Doctor had done on the spaceship with all the dinosaurs.
"300 years?" Jenny repeated, "Are you Time Lord too?" Both Danni's shook their head.
"Nope, we time travel too." Future-Danni explained.
"And you're the same person?"
"I'm from her future." She pointed between herself and Now-Danni, "She's a bit more jealous than I am, though."
"I don't know why, though." Donna interjected and Now-Danni blushed ever deeper.
"Stop it." She told them both, but she knew herself. There was no way she was going to stop teasing her, she probably still called Rory a 'murse'.
"She's the reason that I'm not his woman." Donna explained with a smirk.
"Can you four stop chattering like old ladies?" The Doctor snapped slightly, struggling to find the right frequency to open the stupid door, and their talk of jealous Danni's wasn't helping, because he couldn't focus.
"She's just insecure." Future-Danni told Donna, smiling at herself apologetically.
"Why? Not because of me, is it?" Donna asked, "Because I don't..."
"It's not you, sweetie." Future-Danni promised, "It's River Song." Donna watched as Now-Danni visibly tensed at the name. She'd personally had never heard it, but she could tell even mentioning it was upsetting her friend.
"Who's River Song?" Donna asked as the door slid open with a groan of under-use.
"Got it!" The Doctor cried, standing up. Now-Danni rushed over to herself, looking up imploringly.
"Have you been to the wedding?" Future-Danni nodded slightly.
"Hold on, wedding?" Donna asked, "What wedding?"
"Please." Now-Danni begged, ignoring Donna, "Please tell me she doesn't get married. Please, I can't survive like this!" Future-Danni smiled sadly, shaking her head.
"Spoilers." She whispered and Now-Danni's hand flew to her mouth with a gasp, her eyes filling with tears. She would tell herself if she'd known they didn't get married, wouldn't she? Of course she would, this wasn't something you could hide.
"Squad 5, with me!" The General's voice came screaming down the tunnel and the Doctor pocketed his sonic. Now was not the time to find out about this 'River Song', but as soon as they were free and clear he'd ask about her. He'd heard Danni mention this woman to Rose and Martha and he hadn't cared, but if she was upsetting Danni this much she had to be important.
"Now, what were you saying about running?" He exclaimed loudly, ending the conversation. He reached out and Now-Danni clutched his hand as they rushed through the tunnel and away from the approaching soldiers.